Father starts rugby league to help son
by Katie Johnson
sports editor

When Doug Neubauer decided to sign up his son to play rugby three years ago, he could not find a league in Northeast Tarrant County.

At that, many parents would have given up and settled for a close alternative such as football or soccer.

Not Neubauer. He and a couple of friends created the Alliance Rugby Club, a decision that has, at times, not been easy.

However, an All-American rugby player himself, Neubauer knew no other sport could compare to rugby.

Rugby, most commonly considered a British sport, involves a combination of both intense physical conditioning as well as mental strategy.

There are no time-outs, which means the players are continuously running.

In addition, the athletes must play as a team at all times; otherwise, the risk for injury (there are no pads or protective gear) rises tremendously.

This risk is often a concern for parents.

From TV shows and other media influences, the risk involved for rugby has been exaggerated, Neubauer says.

In reality, major injuries are not very common. Recruiting director Sam Wilcox, whose son plays in the league, says the worst injury he has seen in the two years he has been involved with the league is a broken bone.

While broken bones are painful and an unpleasant thought for concerned parents, they are relatively common for most competitive sports.

Rugby’s lack of popularity has not been the only challenge for Alliance Rugby Club.

In order to reach more people, Alliance Rugby Club (ARC) is not connected to any one city.

It has players ranging from Keller to Arlington to south Fort Worth.

Their home field was located in Keller until recently when Keller officials decided that field would be reserved for sole use by t-ball.

ARC offered to schedule its practices and games when t-ball was not playing, but Keller refused.

In addition, ARC offered to rent another field and pay to renovate the field for rugby—seeding and putting up goalposts—as well as maintaining it, but Keller refused that proposal too.

Currently, ARC is looking for a city or private individual to lease or donate a field for its sporting events.

It has recently received approval from the IRS to be considered a 501 non-profit organization, a distinction the club has been trying to get for months.

Because ARC is now considered non-profit, all donations are considered tax-deductible, so the group is actively seeking sponsors.

With under 12, under 17, under 19 and men’s leagues, ARC has rugby teams for all ages.

It currently has more than 80 members signed up and is continuing to grow strong.

And while the other teams ARC plays with are co-ed, ARC does not presently have any females signed up, but Wilcox says the group would be enthusiastic to change if any females are interested.

ARC plays year-round with sign-ups at practices and games. For questions or to sign up, anyone interested should contact Sam Wilcox at 817-822-7439.

To donate money, time or a field, contact Neubauer at 817-360-5368.

For more information, visit ARC’s Web site at www.alliancerugby.org.

Last Updated: 4/21/2004
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